February 16-18
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY
Next-Gen WC: Composing Spaces, Exploring Ideas
The conference theme, "Next-Gen WC: Composing Spaces, Exploring Ideas," encourages us, as individuals and as a field, to think generatively about writing center spaces and the compositions that create and shape them. Let's reconsider familiar conversations--staffing, budget, and perception--while composing next-generation spaces and exploring new ideas in writing center theory and practice. In true writing center fashion, we encourage a variety of submissions with broad interpretations of the theme. We embrace many pressing questions in our conversations, including . . .
- What will composing look like in next-gen writing centers?
- Should the next-gen writing center expand modes and media of expression?
- How might writing centers integrate their work with the larger campus communities they serve?
- How might we create spaces for our work on campus, regionally, and nationally?
- How does play inform (or not) the next-gen writing center?
- How are writing center spaces composed and how do they, in turn, compose us?
- What does the next-gen writing center relationship between community colleges, colleges and universities, and local schools (K-12) look like?
- What are the rewards and challenges of creating more and deeper cross-institutional relationships?
- What will tutoring look like in next-gen writing centers?
Consider, for a moment, shifting perspectives by remixing current practices or envisioning provisional ones. Conference participants may consider a variety of threads, especially ones that integrate two, three, or more of these nodes:
- Collaboration
- Creative/Critical thinking
- Mediation/Remediation
- RW/Remix
- Digital and Visual Literacies/Practices
- Culture/Pop-culture
- Art/Montage
- Text/Technology
- Research/Information Literacy
Moreover, how do we . . .
- Expand
- Express
- Explore
- Evaluate
- Invent
- Integrate
- Communicate
- Create
- Play
- Problem solve
. . . through/with/in writing center work?
Types of Submissions
We encourage you to think creatively about the way you arrange your sessions. Your session is an opportunity to contribute to, and build upon, writing center scholarship. Moreover, we hope you use this conference opportunity to create, invent, and pilot new or provisional ideas. We encourage a variety of modes and media, including hands-on sessions that recognize multiple learning styles and collaboration as key components. Proposals for individual sessions, panels, posters, and multimedia installations are welcome!
- 15-20 minute individual presentation: Individual presentation or conference paper. You will be placed on the program with other presenters with similar interests.
- 45-minute panel/roundtable (3-4 presenters): Panel sessions that involve multiple presenters.
- 90-minute workshop (hands-on learning, interactive): Interactive sessions that encourage participant involvement. Consider including manipulatives, games, etc. to encourage interaction.
- Poster: A static display that will be showcased in the Noel Studio's Greenhouse or Invention Space. Poster presenters are encouraged to think about ways to involve participants during the allotted poster-presentation session.
- Multimedia Installation: A moving or static electronic display that can be showcased on its own, as in a moving slideshow, or as suggested by the presenter. Automatic PowerPoint displays, Prezis, Second Life sites, social media, videos, or other technologically sophisticated displays are encouraged. Feel free to be creative with your installations! They will be showcased on the Noel Studio's monitor wall and breakout spaces.
We welcome submissions from the SWCA region, across the country, and around the world. Submit proposals online at http://encompass.eku.edu/swca-conference2012/.
Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
We encourage suggestions for SIGs that you would like to facilitate as part of the conference. SIGs are typically informal conversations with your writing center colleagues and peers. If you're interested in facilitating a SIG at this year's conference, email russell.carpenter@eku.edu with your idea and a brief description and overview of how participants will be involved. Think creatively about your SIGs! Consider including manipulatives. Encourage innovative conversations and activities. SIGs will last one hour.
Pitch Your Project
Test out that elevator speech! Do you have a research topic, dissertation or thesis concept, consulting strategy, theory that needs testing, or any other idea that you'd like feedback on? Consider "pitching your project." We'll have a panel of friendly respondents at this session to give you feedback and help you build momentum. The pitch should be short--one to three minutes--so that most of the time is spent on conversation and idea generation. These sessions are intended to be informal, so just bring your project idea if you'd like to participate.
Questions or Ideas?
Contact Russell Carpenter at russell.carpenter@eku.edu, 859-622-7403, the SWCA Facebook site at http://www.facebook.com/SWCAConference2012, or Twitter @noelstudio. Also, visit the SWCA website at http://www.iwca-swca.org/Conferences.html for more information.
Deadline for submissions: October 21, 2011.
See you in Richmond, KY!
